Posted on 06/13/2004 12:18:17 PM PDT by ambrose
Iraq President Won't Destroy Abu Ghraib Prison
June 13, 2004 - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Interim Iraqi President Ghazi Yawar on Sunday said he had no plans to destroy the Abu Ghraib prison despite an offer by President Bush to tear down the jail where U.S. troops abused inmates.
Asked if he would tear down the prison, Yawar told ABC's "This Week," "No. Why? It's a prison that we spent more than $100 million building."
He acknowledged the prison was a symbol of the repressive regime of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, but said it would be unwise and reactionary to destroy all such symbols, given the high cost of rebuilding Iraq.
"We need every single dollar we have in order to rebuild our country instead of demolishing and rebuilding," he said.
Bush last month said the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad would be torn down, if the Iraqi government approved, and the United States would fund the construction of a modern, maximum security prison.
Photographs and videotapes of American soldiers sexually and physically abusing and humiliating Iraqi inmates at the prison have seriously undermined U.S. efforts in Iraq.
The Pentagon last week said it would widen a probe into the abuse of Iraqi prisoners to include actions of the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld requested that autopsies be conducted when detainees die.
Yawar said the new Iraqi government would assume control over the Abu Ghraib prison when the United States hands over power on June 30. "We have to start taking care of all our entities," he said.
"No. Why? It's a prison that we spent more than $100 million building."I wonder how much the Reich-ministries paid for Buchenwal or Auschwitz.
They need to put these leaders in a "safe house", at least until June 30th.
Haven't there been three assasinations in the past week?
Wonder what kind of security they have in Iraq for the new leaders and government officials?
Interesting that the new government doesn't care all that much about the prison and what happened, yet the article still talks about how the abuse seriously undermined US eforts.
Convert it into a Holiday Inn Express!
Common sense from Iraq, I'm impressed.
Asked if he would tear down the prison, Yawar told ABC's "This Week," "No. Why? It's a prison that we spent more than $100 million building."
Weird world when the interim Iraqi President is more concerned over spending the US taxpayers money than our own President.
I find his attitude refreshing - how "democratic" it would be to throw $100 million away because someones' sensibilities were offended.
We didn't tear down Buchenwald or Auschwitz. They still have a purpose.
Note that the new president of Iraq brushes off the American "torture" in the prison, which Reuters is so anxious to bring back into view. Instead he sees it as the place where Saddam tortured and murdered his political victims.
Maybe parts of it could be turned into a memorial for dead Iraqis who were put through Saddam's regime of rape and torture. I'm sure that would please Reuters (NOT).
Oh, but the tax dollars would go to an American corporation. That's what would make it a good idea! /sarcasm off
he'll invite ted kennedy and friends over for some good ol' hate-america-masochism.
I am glad to hear this. The U.S. wanted it torn down only for the sake of trying to get rid of the bad image our media keeps on the front pages.
Exactly. Refreshing to hear common sense like this instead of the usual pandering to the emotions of the moment we experience each day by the dems and, in this case, even by G. W. Bush himself.
bookmark bump
Solid thinking over there - thanks for saving some of our $$$.
A conservative. Maybe Iraq will be just fine.
Yeah, no kidding. No liberal he.
I meant to add that liberals deeply care about symbolism like demolishing buildings with unseemly pasts, when the substance is that demolishing it won't do a damn thing about the torture that went on there, so why tear it down.
I find myself agreeing with this guy! I thought it was a crappy plan to tear it down as well. It's not the building it's what has gone on inside it. And what a waste of taxpayer money to tear it down and rebuild it. Maybe this guy will be a Republican.
That is not the reality or context of the issue.
The Coalition commandeered the prison when we took over the country and we started using it to house prisoners that we took.
Then the rogue group performed their acts and as a result a howl and cry went up as to "What was the administration THINKING by using this infamous prison?!", disregarding the obviousness of the fact that we needed a facility to use immediately and did so.
Then the press incessantly demanded that we should tear it down, so President Bush sensibly said IF that is what the Iraqis wish, that is what we will do.
The answer evidently will be that it is not necessary.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.